"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free... it expects what never was, and never will be." --Thomas Jefferson

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Rehabilitating a hero

When people hear the name, Joseph McCarthy, chances are they reflexively blanch at the thought of blacklists and persecution. What people don't often ponder is whether or not Joe McCarthy was right.

One of the greatest books I have ever read is Ann Coulter's Treason: Liberal Treachery from the Cold War to the War on Terrorism. The most eye-opening aspect of that book was Coulter's vehement defense of Senator McCarthy. In all my years, I had never once read a kind word about the man, and Coulter absolutely set fire to some of the major lies that lefties have said about him over the years; lies repeated so often, that they are now gospel in the American consciousness.

Ann Coulter's treatment of the McCarthy era was only a couple of chapters in her book. In her weekly column, which, if you have never read a positive description of Joe McCarthy, I highly recommend you read, Coulter tells us about a newly-released book whose only subject is telling the true and heroic story of Joseph McCarthy, who may have been rough around the edges, but was still a hero who helped secure America's future at the cost of his life and reputation. Leftists so hate the man because he was effective, and most importantly, he was right!

12 comments:

Or, possibly leftists hate him and the movement that he stood for because it ruined the lives of hundreds of people who had not broken any laws. But no, you are right, it is probably because he was effective.

There were, but McCarthyism was more than that. It was an utter disregard for the rights of individuals, many of whom were not communists. And in any case, being a communist was not a crime, and should not ever be a crime in a state that considers itself "land of the free".But, of course, you know why leftists hate the movement. Because you have met and spoken to every single liberal in the world.

Both of you just parroted two of the lies that have been accepted about McCarthy for the last 50 years.

Actually, the people he investigated or called to be investigated WERE Communists. The list he waved was confidential, but the Senate forced him to "name names" even though he protested that these people were only suspected security risks.

Unless you have actually read the book "Treason", then all you have to go on is falsehoods and innuendo.

Ahh, you err coming right out of the gate. McCarthy had nothing to do with the Hollywood blacklists. That whole thing took place in 1947 under the HOUSE Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). In 1947, McCarthy had just taken office as a junior SENATOR. He was never in the HOUSE.

Starting in 1950, McCarthy began going after Communists and Soviet sympathizers working for our GOVERNMENT (especially the State and Defense Departments), not Hollywood.

People always attribute the Hollywood blacklists to McCarthy, even though he had nothing to do with it. Besides, the "blacklist" was not issued by our government anyway. It was a voluntary action conducted by studio heads and major producers. They were private employers who were free to fire and hire whomever they wished.

"Persecuted"? You're only persecuted if you are innocent. Who was persecuted?

Why don't you study the Venona Project sometime and find out how many of these "suspected" communists who were "persecuted" turned out to actually be guilty. Oh, let me guess... you've never heard of the Venona Project.

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I am native of the mountains of northern California; 12-year veteran of the U.S. Army and California National Guard; Secondary School History teacher; Husband; Father of Two; and three-time honoree as Time Magazine's Person of the Year (2003, 2006, 2011).